Xbox 360 to offer hub for 2012 election coverage

Starting later on this month (Monday, August 27 to be exact), the Xbox 360 dashboard will transform into a hub for coverage of the 2012 presidential election. Microsoft announced today that it will be providing Xbox 360 owners with full election coverage, and from the sounds of things, those who are interested will be able to find all the information they could ever want about the election come August 27.

Microsoft isn't offering this election hub by itself, however, as it has a teamed up with a number of different companies to deliver all-encompassing coverage. Users will be able to register to vote through the dashboard thanks to the Rock the Vote campaign, while Face the Facts USA will be offering information on both candidates. There will also be "live daily polling" provided by the folks at YouGov, so Xbox 360 users will be able to keep up with the rest of the community's thoughts on the election.

Microsoft has also teamed up with NBC News to deliver daily video content on the election. Perhaps most importantly, Xbox users will be able to watch the three planned presidential debates along with live streams from the Republican and Democratic National Conventions through their consoles. That's where YouGov's live polling comes in, as Xbox 360 owners will be able to vote in polls during the debates.

As always, there's a bit of a catch: most of this coverage will be available to all Xbox Live users, but the really important stuff - the debates and the coverage from NBC - will only be available to those with an Xbox Live Gold subscription. Other than the Gold requirement (which was to be expected, really), this sounds like a pretty great way to get gamers involved in the election, and the information from Face the Facts USA will undoubtedly be appreciated while the candidates are offering their own take on things during the debates. Will you be watching the debates through your Xbox 360?